A roof crush machine test is performed on a Volvo C30 on Oct. 20 in Virginia. The model is one of 19 2010 models labeled a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

WASHINGTON — Ford, Subaru and Volkswagen sit atop the insurance industry's annual list of the safest new vehicles, according to a closely watched assessment used by car companies to lure safety-conscious consumers to showrooms.

The Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded its top safety pick Wednesday to 19 passenger cars and eight sport utility vehicles for the 2010 model year. The institute substantially reduced the number of awards compared with 2009 because of tougher requirements for roof strength.

Ford and its Volvo unit received the most awards with six, followed by five awards apiece for Japanese automaker Subaru and German automaker Volkswagen and its Audi unit.

Chrysler received four awards followed by two each for Honda and General Motors.

Toyota, BMW, Mazda and Mitsubishi were shut out in the annual IIHS review.

Ford's recipients include the Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS passenger cars and the Volvo S80 and C30 passenger cars and the XC60 and XC90 SUVs.

Subaru recorded winners with the Subaru Legacy, Outback and Impreza cars and Tribeca and Forester SUVs. Subaru was the only automaker with an IIHS winner in all four vehicle classes in which it competes.

The automaker, which has bucked the brutal U.S. sales market with a 13 percent increase during the first 10 months of 2009, attributed its safety success to a unique engine design that sits low in the vehicle chassis and moves down and under occupants in a frontal collision.

Volkswagen scored with the 4-door versions of the Jetta, Passat and Golf, the Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Tiguan, a small SUV.

The vehicles are selected for best protecting motorists in front, side and rear crash tests based on Institute evaluations during the year. The vehicles are required to have electronic stability control to qualify for the award. Earlier this year, the Institute said vehicles would need to receive its highest score in its roof strength evaluation to qualify the safety pick designation.

The Institute awarded its top prize to 94 vehicles in 2009 and attributed the decline in awards this year to the roof strength requirement. The Honda Accord and the Ford Fusion both dropped off the list because 2010 versions didn't earn high enough scores on the roof test.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named 27 vehicles as winners of their top safety pick award for the 2010 model year. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting motorists in front, side, rear and rollover crashes and have anti-rollover technology called Electronic Stability Control, or ESC.<B>LARGE CARS</B>Buick LaCrosseFord TaurusLincoln MKSVolvo S80<B>MIDSIZE CARS</B>Audi A3Chevrolet Malibu (built after Oct. 2009)Chrysler Sebring (4-door with optional ESC)Dodge AvengerMercedes C ClassSubaru LegacySubaru OutbackVolkswagen Jetta (4-door)Volkswagen Passat (4-door)Volvo C30<B>SMALL CARS</B>Honda Civic (4-door with optional ESC, except Si)Kia SoulNissan CubeSubaru Impreza (except WRX)Volkswagen Golf (4-door)<B>MIDSIZE SUVs</B>Dodge JourneySubaru TribecaVolvo XC60Volvo XC90<B>SMALL SUVs</B>Honda ElementJeep Patriot (with optional side thorax airbags)Subaru ForesterVolkswagen Tiguan<I>Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety</I>